Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Congress approved a second stopgap measure to keep the U.S. government running, this time through Dec. 18, while lawmakers continue their annual budget work.

The House voted 247-178 today for the legislation that will fund most of the executive branch at current budget levels. Hours later the Senate passed the bill, 72-28.

The government’s 2010 fiscal year began Oct. 1. The first stopgap funding measure that Congress passed last month expires Oct. 31.

The legislation approved today and sent to President Barack Obama also will extend a temporary increase in the maximum size of loans that mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may buy from lenders. The loan limit of $729,750 will be extended through the end of next year; it otherwise would have dropped to $625,500 on Jan. 1.

Lawmakers said they supported extending the higher limit to avoid disrupting the mortgage market. The higher ceiling was first authorized as part of a 2008 stimulus package.

The government is funded by 12 annual appropriations bills that set budget levels for hundreds of offices and programs. Lawmakers have completed work on five of them. Action on the other measures has been stalled by work on a health-care overhaul.

The stopgap measure was attached to a $32 billion appropriations bill funding the Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and other programs that would get a total budget increase of $4.7 billion, or 17 percent. The EPA’s budget would increase by $2.7 billion, to $10.3 billion.

Republicans criticized the spending increase, saying it comes just as lawmakers are preparing to raise the legal limit on government debt.

“The 17 percent increase in this agreement is irresponsible, especially in light of the fact that Congress must soon consider legislation to increase our national debt limit, this time to over $13 trillion,” said Representative Jerry Lewis, a California Republican and his party’s ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Faler in Washington at   or bfaler@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 29, 2009 18:24 EDT